Women's Basketball at George Mason on Saturday

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Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham women's basketball team (12-5, 3-0 A-10) will look to keep its momentum going and extend its three-game winning streak at George Mason (9-7, 2-1 A-10) on Saturday afternoon.
 
Women's Basketball Promotions
There are several promotions going on associated with the Fordham women's basketball program.
 
Saturday, January 21, will feature several big promotions:
                - Bring Your Best Day: Bring your best grade to the game, show it at the Box Office, and receive FREE admission. This can be a test, a quiz, a homework assignment, anything from your current school year!
                - Super Hero Day: Dress up as your favorite super hero and cheer on the team! Special contests and prizes throughout the game plus the chance to win a FitBit during the second half!
                - Super Hero Cape Giveaway: The first 350 kids, 12 and under, and the first 100 students will receive Fordham super hero capes, courtesy of Key Bank!
                - Run with the Rams: Stay in your seats at halftime watch the Somers 5^th grade girls basketball team play a mini-game as part of the Run with the Rams package.
                - Post-Game Vacation Shootout: Students who stay the duration of the game can participate in a half-court shot competition to win a hotel stay at any Marriott location (restrictions apply)!
 
Finally, interested youth groups should check out the Women's basketball program's Harry's Hustler's young group initiative to attend home games and participate in a variety of activities and opportunities.
 
Last Time Out vs. Davidson (1/4)
Inwhat was another uncharacteristic high-scoring affair for a Stephanie Gaitley-coached team, the Rams downed the Wildcats, 85-72, on Wednesday night in the Bronx behind the stellar play of reigning A-10 Co-Player of the Week and freshman guard Anna Kelly off the bench. Playing short-handed, Davis played 39 minutes and tallied a career-high 27 points on a career-best 11 field goals to go with 13 rebounds for her fourth straight double-double and ninth of the season. Meanwhile, Kelly, handling the point along with junior Asnate Fomina, exploded for 16 second-half points en route to a career-high 18 on the night on a perfect 5-of-5 from the field and 8-of-9 from the free throw line across 27 minutes. Both Hannah Missry and Kate Kreslina, the latter rejoining the starting lineup after three games on the sidelines due to illness, hit 14 points, plus Danielle Burns reached double figures for the seventh straight game with 10 points in an off-shooting night. Kelly's performance was the third straight game in which a Fordham bench player has notched 10 or more points after none across the first 14 games of the year.
 
Series History vs. George Mason
Series History: Fordham holds a slim 4-3 advantage in the all-time series with the Patriots dating back to 2001. Since Mason entered the Atlantic 10, Fordham has won all three meetings, including a 66-54 result in the Bronx last January 13. The Patriots won the initial contest, 65-60, in Fairfax in 2001. Last year, Danielle Burns led the Rams with 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting in 37 minutes, while Hannah Missry and Samantha Clark notched 15 and 14 points, respectively, with Clark added 14 rebounds and six blocks. Both players never left the court. For the Patriots, Kristi Mohube poured in 20 points and 10 rebounds in just 27 minutes.
 
Scouting the Patriots
George Mason is led by Kara Wright, one of three players to have started all 16 contests, and the lone Patriot in double figures. The junior has enjoyed a solid campaign and is shooting 50.7% from the field, including 37.8% from behind the arc. Wright also leads the team with 5.8 rebounds pe rgame, 51 assists, and 29 steals. Beyond Wright, however, the Patriots don't have any one standout but several players that contribute. Jacy Bolton and Sarah Kaminski are the other two players to start every contest and average 7.7 and 7.0 points, respectively. Tiffany Padgett is second with 5.2 rebounds per game and has tallied nine blocks and 13 steals. Head coach Nyla Milleson has a rotation of eight players averaging at least 14.8 minutes per game, plus Bridget O'Donnell who has appeared in all 16 contests, making two starts, but is at just 8.7 minutes per contest. George Mason started conference play with a 66-55 win at Massachusetts on December 4, downed the Bonnies by three on New Year's Eve but fell to Saint Louis on Wednesday night on the road.
 
Gaitley Six Wins Away
Stephanie Gaitley reached 100 wins with the Fordham program against Little Rock on November 19 and is currently at 110 for her Rams career. Gaitley needs just six more victories in the Bronx to surpass Kathy Mosolino ('74-'80) to become the all-time winningest head coach in Fordham history.
 
Gaitley's 900th Game
The double overtime win over Albany on November 22 was Stephanie Gaitley's 900 career contest as a head coach. She has a 574-339 record over 31 seasons with five different schools.
 
Second-Most Wins in A-10 History
Continuing the trend of Gaitley milestones, the win over Albany was Gaitley's 157th all-time as a coach of an A-10 school (Saint Joseph's and Fordham), passing Theresa Grentz for second-most all-time. Gaitley now has 167 but needs 74 more to break Joe McKeown's all-time record of 240 that he accumulated in 17 seasons at the helm of George Washington from 1989-2008.
 
Missry Hits 1,000 Points
Senior guard Hannah Missry needed nine points on Sunday to reach the career milestone and, fittingly, knocked down her first three triples in the first quarter to become the 19th Ram to ever reach the mark. Missry finished the game with 12 points. The Manasquan, N.J. native accomplished the feat in her 110th appearance (105th start).
 
Davis Named A-10 Co-Player of the Week
G'mrice Davis rattled off three straight double-doubles over a four-day stretch to earn her first career weekly honor as this week's A-10 Co-Player of the Week alongside Saint Louis' Sadie Stipanovich. Davis averaged 14.0 points and 13.3 rebounds to go with 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks across just 29.7 minutes per contest. Against Buffalo in the Fordham Holiday Classic's opening contest, the junior tallied 13 points and 15 rebounds (five offensive) to go with two assists, two blocks, and four steals in 34 minutes, although the Rams would fall in the final minute. The forward struggled with some foul trouble the following day but still tallied 10 points and 14 boards. Similarly, the junior picked up her third foul in the second quarter of Sunday's win at Rhode Island, finishing the first half with six points and four rebounds, but busted out in the second half to help her team pick up its first road win of the year with a team-high 19 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 8-of-10 from the floor.
 
Davis' 27 Points, Fourth Straight Double-Double Help Down Davidson
With the team short-handed, the junior forward stepped up and played 39 minutes, tallying a career-high 27 points, on a career-best 11 field goals, and 13 rebounds against the Wildcats for her fourth straight double-double and ninth of the season.
 
Kelly Flourishes off the Bench vs. Davidson
The freshman guard had scored seven points in three of her first four contests in the Bronx  but had struggled for playing time after that until Wednesday with the team without starting point guard Lauren Holden. Asnate Fomina got the start and matched her career-high of five assists in the first half, but Kelly solidifed the win for the Rams when she came off the bench towards the end of the third quarter, scoring 16 points over 13 minutes for a career-high 18 over a career-best 27 minutes. Kelly was also extremely efficient, with a perfect 5-of-5 shooting from the field and 8-of-9 from the free throw line, including two and-ones.
 
The Bronx is Our House
With the latest win in the Rose Hill Gym, the Rams are 10-2 this season in the Bronx, as opposed to a 1-2 record on the road and 1-1 at neutral sites. Fordham began this season with six straight home victories before falling to St. John's in mid-December.
 
Defense, Defense, Defense
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, Fordham has held its opponents to less than 50 points 34 times resulting in 34 victories. Overall under Gaitley, Fordham is 44-4 in such instances and have now won 36 straight with the most recent win over UNC Asheville on Friday afternoon, limiting the Bulldogs to a season-low 42 points. The Rams are 4-0 this season holding opponents under 50 points (and 5-0 holding them at 51 and under).
 
Defense Part Deux
Through 17 games this season, Fordham's defense has limited opposing scoring to just 58.2 points per contest, ranking 61st in the country. Part of that is due to the Rams' stingy perimeter D that has held opponents to just 26.2% (58-for-221) shooting from beyond the arc, currently situated at 22nd nationally. Fordham allowed Buffalo to shoot a season-high 40% for an opponent from beyond the arc (4-of-10) but the Rams have responded by limiting UNC Asheville, Rhode Island, and Davidson to just 6-of-34 shooting from downtown the last two contests (17.7%). Breaking it down further, in losses, the Rams have allowed opponents to shoot just 27.7% from behind the arc (13-for-47) but a whopping 44.5% (102-229) from everywhere else on the floor. In wins, those numbers drop to 25.9% (45-174) and 40.5% (280-691), respectively.
 
Three and D
Fordham is 43rd in the country in three-point attempts (331) and 33rd in makes (112) while playing terrific defense along the perimeter that has led to teams shooting just 26.2% from deep.
 
A-10 Ranks
The Rams are in the top three in several categories: second in free throw percentage (74.9%) and three-point defense (26.2%) and third in scoring defense (58.2), scoring margin (+3.5), field goal percentage (40.8%), and three-point field goal percentage (33.8%). On the individual level, G'mrice Davis' 12.3 rebounds per game leads the league as does her 9.5 defensive boards. Hannah Missry's 2.2 triples per contest ranks second-most in the conference, while Kate Kreslina's 39.0% mark from beyond the arc is fourth-highest in the league.
 
Davis Boarding with the Best
G'mrice Davis has been a force on the glass this season, putting up career numbers across the board that has her near the top of Division I's rebounding lists (as of 1/6/17): Davis' 209 rebounds are the most in the country, although Washington's Chantel Owasofur will play Friday night. Davis' 9.5 defensive rebounds per game are second-most in the nation as is her 12.3 rebounding average. Additionally, her nine double-doubles rank fifth in the country. Davis has tallied 13 or more rebounds in nine contests and has rattled off four straight double-doubles.
 
It Takes Two to... Rebound at a Historic Rate
Anne Gregory ('80) is one of the NCAA's all-time best rebounders. She is the only Ram in school history to average 10 or more rebounds over a single season and she did it all four of her years in the Bronx. Her lowest total, 12.4, came in 1979-80 during her senior year. G'mrice Davis' 12.3 boards/game average ranks just beneath that mark through 17 games. She's at the very least on pace to become just the second Ram to ever grab double figure rebounds per contest over a season. Samantha Clark averaged 9.6 last year, the fifth-highest clip ever in school history.
 
Actively One of the Best from Deep
Hannah Missry has amassed 277 three-pointers in her career in the Bronx and is fifth among active players in Division I for all-time downtown makes. Missry recently passed Suntana Granderson (Xavier '04-'07) and then Lisa Cermignaro (George Washington '94-'97) in A-10 history and now sits seventh. Missry needs 10 more makes to pass Amy Waugh (Xavier '00-'03) for sixth and 16 more to enter the top-five by supplanting Stefanie Collins (St. Bonaventure '02-'06). Missry is on pace to finish her career in the top three.
 
114 Straight For Burns
Senior Danielle Burns played in her 100th straight game in maroon and white against Little Rock. Burns hasn't missed a single contest since arriving in the Bronx, making 114 consecutive appearances and 62 starts, including 39 straight. Fellow seniors Hannah Missry and Danielle Padovano recently hit the century mark against Grambling State and Princeton, respectively.
 
Burns Flirts with Triple Double at URI
Danielle Burns stepped up at Rhode Island on Sunday in the absence of Kate Kreslina to illness and G'mrice Davis for much of the first half due to foul trouble. The senior guard piled up 18 points, 10 rebounds (five offensive), and a career-high seven assists across 37 minutes. The double-double is Burns' first of the season. Her final basket gave her 700 points in her career.
 
Career-Highs for G'mrice
The junior forward is playing the most minutes of her career this season and is putting up terrific numbers. Davis has set three new career-highs in rebounds, first with 15 at #1 Notre Dame, then 17 against Texas Tech, including seven on the offensive glass, and finally 21 against Grambling State, one of the top single-game numbers in A-10 history. Following the win over Davidson, she has now set three new scoring career-highs, as well, first with 22 points against Boston College, 24 in the Battle of the Bronx, and now 27 against the Wildcats. At Iona, Davis played the entire 40 minutes for the first time in her career.
 
Missry For Three!
Hannah Missry tied and broke the all-time Fordham career three-point record last season against St. Bonaventure (2/24/16) with two timely second-half bombs, tying and moving past Heather Donlon (1989-93) on the all-time list. Missry finished her season with five more long-range efforts over the next three contests and began her senior campaign with 239. This year, the senior is shooting 38-of-106 from deep (35.8%) and has flourished in recent games, hitting three or four triples in five straight contests and shooting 47.4% during that stretch.  Her 2.2 per-game average is second in the conference.
 
62 To Go
Missry is 62 three-pointers away from breaking Jessica Jenkins' all-time Atlantic 10 record of 338 threes set at St. Bonaventure from 2009-12. The Manasquan, N.J. native is on pace to finish just behind Jenkins for second-most all-time in conference history.
 
100 Starts
Missry made the 100th start of her career in her 105th appearance against St. John's. She was held to just two points on 1-of-5 shooting, however, and without a three for just the 10th time in her Fordham career.
 
Fordham's Charity
Fordham is 44th in the country thus far with a 74.9% clip from the free throw line. The Rams have spent a large portion of this season atop the A-10 leaderboards but recent struggles from the line have helped them slip to second. Before Wednesday's season-high 23-of-29 performance from the stripe, over the team's last five games, the Rams were hitting just 64.7% (44-of-68) of their freebies, including a 16-for-25 mark on Sunday at Rhode Island, the most attempts of the season but also the third-most makes.
 
Consistent Holden
Before missing Wednesday's game with an illness, Holden had made 31 consecutive starts at point guard, including all 16 this season. The sophomore's year started off hot, leading the Atlantic 10 in field goal percentage and being ranked in the top-3 in percentage from beyond the arc across the opening six games of the year. After the blistering start, the sophomore guard went through a small slump over two games in early December in which she shot 1-of-16 from the field and 0-of-12 from long range, however her assists rose. Aside from a basket-less game against Manhattan, Holden is turning it up again, with seven double-digit games in her last eight, and if you remove the Manhattan game, the point guard is averaging 10.9 points on 42.4% shooting, plus 2.5 assists per game. Holden is averaging 8.9 points per game on the year and leads the team with 11 double-digit performances.
 
Fomina Facilitating Off the Bench
The Latvian junior guard is averaging 15.7 minutes off the bench and made her first start of the season on Wednesday, playing 22 minutes and assisting on five buckets. Fomina leads the team with 41 assists. Fomina began the year with at least one assist in each of the first 10 games, including five at Iona. After no dimes against St. John's, Fomina has flourished over her last six and has tallied between three and five assists in every game since. Over those five games, she has totaled 22 assists.
 
Kreslina Named A-10 Rookie of the Week
Redshirt freshman Kate Kreslina was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week two weeks ago, the first honor of her young career. The Latvian guard averaged 12.5 points against Iona and Princetn, including a career-high 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the close win over the Tigers on Saturday. The freshman hit several big shots in the fourth quarter, from the field and the line.
 
Career Numbers Watch
- Danielle Burns is eight minutes away from 2,600
- Danielle Burns is three assists away from 150
- Danielle Burns is 24 rebounds away from 400
- G'mrice Davis is 37 points away from 750
- G'mrice Davis is seven rebounds away from 550
- G'mrice Davis is three starts away from 50
- Lauren Holden is three appearances from 50
- Lauren Holden is 16 assists away from 100
- Hannah Missry is five steals away from 50
- Hannah Missry is 21 rebounds away from 350
- Hannah Missry is 23 threes away from 300
- Danielle Padovano is one three-pointer away from 50
- Danielle Padovano is three assists away from 75
 
Five Sign NLIs in 2016-17 Recruiting Class
Coach Gaitley announced this past week the additions of five student-athletes  to national letters of intent: Halei Gillis, Kendell Heremaia, Zara Jillings, Ralene Kwiatkowski, and Vilisi Tavui. Fordham's global reach under Coach Gaitley continues with two players from North Carolina, two from New Zealand, and one from Fiji. The three international players all have experience playing within their countries' junior ranks.
 
You can read all about the five additions here.
 
Fordham WBB Ticket Plans
Two women's ticket options are available:
Flex Plan: $35 for 15 tickets
Community Partner: $100 for 50 tickets
 
With the flex plan option, fans receive 15 ticket vouchers good for use at any Fordham women's basketball game, plus a special Fordham scarf. As a community partner, you also have the opportunity to provide 50 tickets to a group of your choice.

The Rams have six remaining home Atlantic 10 contests, including one nationally televised home game – the home season finale against Dayton on February 19.
 
You can purchase single game tickets for all home contests here.
 
Up Next
Fordham return home to host Richmond next Wednesday at noon, the team's annual Field Trip Day.